As we near the end of the book of Joshua, Joshua is also nearing the end of his life. He is probably 109 or 110 years old. He calls the leaders of the people together and speaks to them. His words are similar to the words of Moses near the end of his life. Both of these men love the Lord and the people whom they have led.

George Washington:
- Importance of Unity
- The 'Worst Enemy' of Government: Loyalty to Party Over Nation
- Danger of Foreign Entanglements

What was his purpose? He loved the nation and its people and arguably, no one knew more about the struggles ahead for the United States than George Washington!

Joshua (and Moses before him) had the same perspective. Joshua had fought, shed blood, and loved Israel as he served God over MANY years. He wants to make sure that the people of Israel are clear on what is most important!

Joshua 23 begins with Joshua reminding the people of God’s faithfulness. God has fought for Israel and given Israel the land He promised them. Now, as he is preparing the people for his death, in verse 6 Joshua says to them ...

Joshua gives 4 ways Israel must remain faithful:

Joshua reminds the Israelites of God’s faithfulness to them and exhorts them to be faithful to God. Then he continues in verse 9.

Joshua reminds the people, again, that their success has been because of God’s faithfulness to them.

Joshua says, “Love your God, be devoted to Him.” Then, in the next couple verses, he again warns against becoming caught up in the culture and religion all around them. And, in vs 14, he concludes with this powerful statement ...

The Hebrew says, “Not one of the good words that God has spoken to you has dropped on the ground!” Joshua is saying, “Take careful note: Every word and promise that God made to you He has kept.” What should we take away from Joshua’s message?

1. Trust God because He is Trustworthy!

Joshua reminds the people of God’s faithfulness to them. He wants the people to recognize God’s “track record” with them!

Look what God has done for you!

God fights and makes each of us look powerful.

God has been faithful to every word He promised! All of that adds up to a track record.

2. Love God and be devoted to Him!

We are invited to a special relationship with God.

We are invited to a special type of devotion to God born out of love and gratitude. That’s why Joshua doesn’t just invite us to remember God’s faithfulness, he invites us to respond ...

Obedience can happen out of fear and intimidation. What does that look like? God invites us to be obedient because He loves us ... and as a result, we love Him back!

3. Hold fast = Faith

Rather than being the one doing the holding, we hang on!

Hang on to God and His Word. With God, you can be confident! Jesus is the foundation you are looking for! He offers life and hope and confidence that is eternal. That’s what Joshua says in verse 11.

“Take great care for your souls to love the Lord your God.”

Listen to God. Obey Him. God loves you and has proven that He wants the best for you. You can trust Him enough to follow Him and His way.

What are you devoted to? Are you wasting your days, or are you living with confidence? Jesus makes this point.

God wants you to have a full life. I’m guessing that’s what you want for yourself. So, love God and be devoted to Him. It is the way to what you really, really want!

Be very strong! These are the very first words Joshua speaks to the Israelites. Did you notice? These are the first words God spoke to Joshua all the way back when he took over leading the people of Israel from Moses.

what does that tell us? God was NOT talking about big muscles and physical strength. He was talking about the kind of spiritual strength Joshua would need to get through all of the battles ahead.

Joshua is now offering the very same words to Israel!

What do you suppose we need to face the battles ahead?
- Health life?
- Relationships?
- Financial struggles
- Congregational challenges?

Be very strong! Be in God’s Word and never leave it! And God will be with you!